Obama’s Latest Scheme to Cut Off Access to American Energy

WASHINGTON – Institute for Energy Research President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement about the Obama administration’s proposed methane regulations for existing oil and gas production:

“There’s no doubt that President Obama’s climate agenda is designed to cut off access to America’s abundant, affordable energy resources, and his latest scheme to regulate methane emissions is no different.

“Whether it’s regulating methane, banning coal lease sales on public lands, or imposing illegal regulations on power plants, this administration wants to keep our most viable energy resources in the ground. Affordable energy keeps our country moving forward, but by blocking its use, the president is moving our country backward.

“The plan concocted by President Obama and PM Trudeau isn’t about methane emissions. Even as energy production has increased, America’s oil and gas producers are reducing methane emissions because they have an incentive to do so. This regulation is about increasing the cost of producing natural gas and oil. And for all the damage this regulation would cause, it would have no impact on the climate.

“Four years ago, President Obama stated, ‘we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices,’ a claim that has clearly been proven wrong. The rise in U.S. and Canadian energy production is the reason why natural gas, oil, and gasoline prices are so low. Since 2008, 97 percent of the total increase in world oil production came from the U.S. and Canada alone. As a result, oil prices are low and American families are enjoying some much-needed relief at the gas pump. Of course, this trend doesn’t fit into President Obama’s worldview, which is why he is proposing regulations to make producing American energy more expensive.”